Sound of Silence

It’s hard for me to be still.  Like a puppy full of energy, I’m usually in constant motion.

And that includes my mouth.  I’ll admit that I have the gift of gab.  I enjoy socializing with others and good conversation.  Honestly, I could probably talk to anyone about anything.

In my defense, some of this stems from working at home. Since I’m by myself most of the time, as soon as I come in contact with another human I’m ready to chat.  I’ve tried talking to my wonderful executive assistant, but all she does is wag her tail and drool.

Hubby has a difficult time understanding that I am almost unable to sit still.  He can easily sit for hours mesmerized by TV; the only movement is his constant channel surfing.

And he has no problem being still long enough to take a nap, something that is so foreign to me I can only do it when I’m sick with a fever.

As much as I’m always in motion and ready to chat the hours away, recently I’ve discovered the power of silence.

Sitting at my desk, I had been trying to focus on some projects as well as my personal business strategy.  Yet my thoughts were all over the board.

Frustrated and desperate, I decided to sit outside for a few minutes.  I thought I may as well get some fresh air for a change.

Sitting in the back yard, I sat in silence without any electronic devices and only the birds chirping as I closed my eyes and tried to focus on breathing.

I let my mind wander in no particular direction.  As I enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the silence, my mind suddenly clicked into focus.

Answers to problems started entering my mind where before there was confusion.  Creative ideas started flowing again.  It was like a dam burst and I went back inside to jot down my thoughts.

Silence, it turns out, is a gift for all of us.  And if you listen closely, silence makes a sound.

The sound of silence is the clear thinking that comes with being away from the constant barrage of noise and information that our electronic devices provide.

The sound of silence is free from constantly talking about something and actually thinking about it instead.

If we can tap into the silence, we may find that the answer we need is right in front of us.

Now that I think about it – thanks to sitting in the backyard – I remember that I used to get some of my best thinking done during long walks with our dog.  We had a great time roaming the neighborhood for half an hour at a time, and I would return home refreshed.

Unfortunately I’ve lost some of the opportunities to hear the silence as our dog is in her mature years with a hip issue and our walks have decreased in duration. Now I’m going to seek out other ways to hear the silence.

Whatever situation we are in, whether it’s looking for a new job, developing a strategy or simply trying to complete an assignment, we should tap into the silence for awhile and see what kind of answers we find.

Silence really does make a sound.